Demolition of the Past

Memories are made in places. You remember your first house, first pet, first car. Yesterday I took the kids to go see our old house get demolished. A happy time for my Mother-in-law, who is building an amazing new place there.

I had mixed feelings. So pleased for her, but as we watched Julian’s old nursery go and the destruction of the bedroom balcony where our old dog Kuli used to sit, it dragged up happy and painful memories.

My whole pregnancy with Sophia was there. I remember the fall I had at 21 weeks and the panic I felt when I couldn’t feel her moving. I was standing against the couch in the living room. She was fine though. I remember sitting on the couch watching House more than ten weeks later, when I realised I hadn’t felt her move again. Bouyed with optimism to squash the panic, we went through the motions and got to the hospital but it was too late.

Onto happier memories, I can watch the video of Julian playing in the sandpit outside, in my mind. I can watch him playing with Lucy and Oscar (the dogs) and taking every piece of tupperware I had out the cupboards. His first birthday, his first words, the control crying episode…I remember it all. So whether the house stands or not I still have them.

I can’t wait to see how happy this new house makes my Mother-in-law and am excited about the new memories our family will create there.